The Incompetence Ratio

…in America must be really high. Some businesses count on it. Credit card companies thrive on it. They are hoping that people are so incompetent that they will not be able to pay in a timely fashion and can collect more money in the long run. They are hoping for people who are bad stewards of their money so that they can collect more in interest.

What reminded me today of "Incompetence Ratio" is the text message I just received on my phone. "Redbox free MONDAY night rental." At the end of the message it said, "Fwd to friends." Giving stuff away for free? Crazy? Nope, they just have faith in the incompetence ratio. They know that if they get the message out to enough people, there will be enough people in the mix to not return their movie the next day…hence, having to pay $1 for every day late, and for some people who lose their DVD or completely forget about it…a $25 "you-own-it" policy.